After delivery of the Campos de Goytacazes MV29 Floating Production, Storage and Transfer Unit (FPSO) to Modec, Brasfels works on the integration and commissioning of the FPSO P-69, due to be delivered in 2018. The shipyard in Angra dos Reis (RJ), will work on the semi-submersible drilling platform Alpha Star, from Queiroz Galvão Oil and Gas (QGOG), which arrived at the dockyard for mooring in September.

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O & M) did not report on how much the number of workers on the shipyard should be reduced after delivery of MV29. Currently, Brasfels has about 3,000 employees. “Due to challenging market conditions in the last two years, as well as changes in our operational demands, we had to reshape our workforce,” the shipyard said.

The Metalworkers’ Union of Angra dos Reis fears that the shipyard will start 2018 with less than 400 workers, after the completion of the current large projects. Today, the union counts 2,800 workers in the unit. At the peak of orders for the sector, a few years ago, the shipyard had 12,000 workers. To try to minimize the impact of the lack of new projects in the sector, the union defends the resumption of the works of four drill ships that were paralyzed because of Sete Brasil, which stopped transferring resources to the shipyards and entered into judicial recovery.

Following the completion of the 14th round of the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), Keppel O & M projects that new investments in exploration and production will lead to increased demand for drilling rigs and production units. Due to the history of project delivery, the company considers itself ready to meet the demands of the Brazilian oil and gas industry.

The company pointed out that, over the years, it has carried out several important projects for the country through its shipyards in Brazil and in Singapore. The portfolio since 2000 includes three FPUs (P-52, P-51 and P-56), nine FPSOs and more than 50 drilling rigs and boat repair projects. “Based on its solid track record in construction, integration, commissioning, upgrading and repair, Brasfels continues to actively seek a variety of offshore and naval projects,” the company said.

In February 2017, the first replicate project (FPSO P-66) left the shipyard to assist Petrobras operations in the Lula Sul field, in the Santos Basin. Throughout the year, Brasfels also completed repair work on the Siem Helix I well intervention vessel, the Ocean Rig Mykonos drill rig and a semi-submersible Olinda Star drilling rig.